Deut. 6:1-9, The Unity of God (1)

We are doing what I like to call “odds-and-ends” posts.  I have promised you at some point soon to go verse-by-verse through Hebrews.  I have been doing some additional posts that go with Hebrews.  But now I am going to move to another subject related to another “project” I am working on. 

The theme is “the unity of God,” taken, of course, from Deut. 6:4: “Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.”  This is followed by what Jesus said was the greatest commandment: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (4:5). 

There are two truths that are at the core of the statement, “the LORD is one.”  It means there is only one God, and the LORD is that God!  Therefore, all the gods of the nations are actually not gods at all. 

The second truth is that God cannot be divided up into any kind of parts.  “Modalism” teaches that there is only one God, and that sometimes He manifests Himself as Father, sometimes as Son, and sometimes as Spirit.  It’s the old “light- bulb” or “egg” view of the Godhead that you might have heard about in Sunday School as a kid.  The light-bulb has the filament (like the Father, the source of all things), the bulb (like the Son, the body), and the light (like the Holy Spirit). 

This is heresy.  It is not the Biblical teaching of the Trinity.  “Trinitarianism” teaches that there is one God, and that He has always existed as three persons.  The distinctions between Father, Son and Holy Spirit are very real.  They must be maintained because the Bible maintains them.  And, clearly, the Bible maintains the unity of God.  One God.  Always existing as three persons.

Now, there is a lot that can be said about this.  I just wanted to make this brief explanation before taking some time to emphasize the “unity of God.”  I find in my ministry that I am frequently speaking of the persons of the Trinity and their works, and how we as Christians are to know the Father’s will and do the work of Christ who is building His church and live in the power of God’s Spirit.  But at times we need to stop and think on the oneness of God.  It is a major truth and has some major implications in our daily living.

The beginning implication is that, since there is only one God, and He is my Creator, then I must love Him with all I am and have.  There can be nothing left over in my life for another.  Even when I love my neighbor (Jesus said that was the second greatest commandment), that neighbor-love must have its source and direction in my God-love.  Ditto my spouse-love, enemy-love, brother-love and so forth. 

“O LORD, you are the portion of my inheritance and my cup” (Ps. 16:5).  “Whom have I in heaven but You?  And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You” (Ps. 73:25).  “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart” (Ps. 119:2).  “And Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God’” (John 20:28)!